We have just started our DIY pool build here in Udon Thani, well not totaly DIY As it toooo much for this old timer.We are now up to the boxing out the foundation, and the concrete will be poured later today. This 10x5 Pool has no proper plans just me sketching it up on a bit of paper. the guys doing the concrete and tile work will not do the pipe work or electric as they don't know how, so that my part of the job.If any one is intrested I can post the pics as we go along.I have one minor problem I have added a Spa to the corner of the pool and I am not sure of the plumbing for Spa's, I will have to do some googeling on that one. So all help and tips from you guys that have done one would be great.

Now when the JCB had finished we had to dig by hand, thats when i found I am not as young as i used to be.So off the wife goes and got a team in to do the work that I couldn't (note to self, at great expence) more on this later.There's 16 pads for the foundation beam going in

These pads are 1 meter square and 25cm deep, reinforced with full size 12mm rebar.After these where cast we levelled out the site and had the young lad of the team going round with a vibrating plate thingy.He thought 20 minutes was enough but I soon put him right on that one

Today they are still knocking the shuttering together. They need to speed up a bit as the ready mix is on its way as I type.For those that are interested these are the prices for the ready mix, I think they are graded by strength.180 sten - 1560 Baht210 sten - 1610 Bath240 sten - 1660 Bath280 sten - 1710 BathThat’s per Cubic Meter also 50 baht more per cube for water prooferNow my Thai is no good but it sounded like the lady down the ready mix shop called it Sten or it could have been strength when giving those prices so apologies if I got it wrong but the price per cube is correct as of today here in Udon.

Steve, good luck with the pool build I expect you are building something simalar to mine by the sound of it as dimensions are the same and I have a jacuzzi in the corner. Here are a couple of pictures of the plumbing and finished pool[*]

That’s just what I am looking for, now that’s a nice poolIt looks like the plumbing is on separate lines but all embedded within the concrete floor and wall. I like that idea. I am interested how the spa was plumbed and the type of jets used. I need to get my thinking cap on as it won’t be long before I have to do it myself.Now I don't understand, but what are the sections that are left out of the sub floorThanks for the pics.

Just got the foundations in and the shuttering off, then the rains came. No work since then as the ground around the pool is too soft to get the trucks in. The builder boss took his guys off on another job until it dries up, so we should be back building Monday if there’s no more rain.As I am building this on a wing and a prayer there is some minor design changes as we go along. There is now a surge tank going in next to the pool as we have changed to an over flow pool instead of a skimmer. So now more digging, First mistake we should have thought it through at the beginning

Steve&mem wrote:Just got the foundations in and the shuttering off, then the rains came. No work since then as the ground around the pool is too soft to get the trucks in. The builder boss took his guys off on another job until it dries up, so we should be back building Monday if there’s no more rain.As I am building this on a wing and a prayer there is some minor design changes as we go along. There is now a surge tank going in next to the pool as we have changed to an over flow pool instead of a skimmer. So now more digging, First mistake we should have thought it through at the beginning

Hi Steve8men,

Can I ask where in Udon Thani, you hired the JCB & Driver from and also if that same place has an Excavator?

Also, I see that you have poured pad footings first and then poured thr beams between the pad footings. What thickness slab are you intending to pour for the Pool base, across/over your beams?

Can I ask where in Udon Thani, you hired the JCB & Driver from and also if that same place has an Excavator?

The wife went asking around and got a phone number for this guy, (real shifty character) the first thing he did was asked for the money upfront, we agreed on 2k for diesel and oil he said he needed it. I lost count how many times he kept asking for more money, half way through the job we gave him another 2k . That’s when the wife told him no more until you finish. At the finish he even asked for more than the 10k agreed.So he’s not someone I would recommend.

Also, I see that you have poured pad footings first and then poured thr beams between the pad footings. What thickness slab are you intending to pour for the Pool base, across/over your beams

The pads are 25cm thick and the beam sits on top of the pads. The beam is 40cm deep and 30cm wide. The ground will be brought up to the top of the beam using sand and stone and packed down with the plate vibrator, from there the plan is to put a thin sub floor on top, no more than 5cm deep. That gives us a clean floor to work on for laying out the steel but more importantly its for when we pour the floor of the pool, it stops the concrete from churning up the sand and stone so no weak points in the floor.At the moment the plan is for a 25cm thick floor reinforced with 12mm rebar in a 20cm X 20cm grid, this is not the cheap stuff but the full size with an SD40 rating

I am not an Engineer, just done yrs of building myself, but I would think that instead of putting down these sub floors like some Members seem to be into, they would be better off combining all that concrete into one properly designed slab, much more efficient and stronger. A plastic membrane under the slab keeps the concrete clean and where you want it, and make sure your steel stays in the right place, it has to have a min cover top and bottom, with non absorbent material used for your chairs. ( Surely it's about time steel plastic tip chairs of all sizes were available in Thailand)

I did consider the plastic membrane, now that’s what I would have used if I had been doing the steel and concrete myself.Unfortunately Thai builders can’t think outside the box, they fook up everything. By the time they had set up the first section of rebar I would have had shredded plastic everywhere, also I have never found the thick damp proof membrane rolls like I used to buy in the UK. We are fortunate that the cost is not like western prices also the labour is cheap. So the 4 cube of the cheapest concrete needed is a small price to pay.If anybody out there knows where I can get those plastic tipped chairs from please tell, until then I will have to use those little concrete ones the labour makes up (NO BRICKS ALLOWED).

Would have thought an enterprising member would have been importing them by now![/quote]

Import, you’re joking, us cheap Charlie’s won’t pay the price.Even if we made them here and tried to sell them, your market would be limited as the Thais wouldn’t buy them.Why pay when you can make the concrete ones for a few satang or better still use the little broken bricks, I’ve seen Thais travel to the other side of town just to save a few Baht.